Seattle Kraken forward facing suspension after dangerous hit to the head of Edmonton Oilers player
The NHL preseason isn't even a week old and the NHL Department of Player Safety is already being forced to step in a review a hit. Last night the Seattle Kraken defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-0. At the end of the night though people weren't talking about the outcome as much as they were speaking about a dangerous hit by Jacob Melanson.
The Kraken drafted Melanson last year 131st overall. The 5th round pick is taking part in his first NHL action and he was looking to make an impact. Unfortunately the impact he made was with the head of James Hamblin. As Hamblin carried the puck up the ice he decides to chip the puck past a defender and looks to make a move to get past him.
As Hamblin cuts to the center of the ice, Melanson closes the gap and delivers a hit directly to the helmet of Hamblin.
Melanson was given a 5-minute major penalty for the hit and was ejected from the game. Hamblin also didn't return to the game. It is to be noted that Hamblin is only 5'9, while Melanson is 6'0 so there is a height difference that may have led to this contact. The NHL announced that they'll be reviewing this hit and it could result into Melanson's first suspenion even before he's made an official NHL debut.
| POLL | ||
Should Melanson be suspended for this hit? | ||
| Yes, it's a clear headshot | 40 | 47.6 % |
| No, he's just bigger | 28 | 33.3 % |
| He should be fined | 16 | 19 % |
| List of polls | ||
